Law & Order: SVU, the longest-running primetime drama on American tv, is set to return for a 28th season on NBC in 2026-27, a part of a two-season pickup the venerable crime drama from Dick Wolf acquired final yr.
The collection’ future has lengthy hinged on its star and govt producer Mariska Hargitay‘s want to hold on as Detective Olivia Benson, a TV character so iconic that Taylor Swift named her cat after her.
So at NBCUniversal’s Emmy Kick-Off luncheon Wednesday, Hargitay, who gained an Emmy for her position in 2006, was requested by Deadline whether or not she thinks SVU could make it to 30 seasons.
“I do. How about that? I do,” Hargitay mentioned. “I love my show. I love my cast. I love my showrunner, my writers, my producers. I feel like the luckiest, happiest actress. I love Dick Wolf, and I’m so challenged still.”
That consists of nonetheless striving for excellence after 27 seasons.
“One of the things that’s been so exciting is, we just finished Season 27,” Hargitay mentioned. “I just watched the final episode of Season 27, and I thought it was the best of the season, and my best. What a way to finish a season after 27 years.”
The finale of SVU, in its first season with Michele Fazekas as showrunner, airs May 14.
“So, I don’t want to go anywhere right now,” Hargitay added. “It’s been amazing. The show really knows how to work with my schedule — I shot my movie, I figured out how to do it, I’m going to do a play now on Broadway.”
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Hargitay directed and produced the 2025 documentary My Mom Jayne about her mother, Nineteen Fifties Hollywood star Jayne Mansfield. She is making her Broadway debut within the solo play Every Brilliant Thing from May 26 to June 28.
“We are very well-oiled machine, the producers. We’re just finely tuned, we are; We know how to do it,” she mentioned.
Could SVU make it to 35 seasons then?
“I don’t know, let’s just go to 30 first,” Hargitay mentioned, laughing.
Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay on location for ‘SVU’
Bobby Bank/WireImage
For the primary 12 seasons of SVU, Hargitay’s Olivia Benson was partnered with Elliot Stabler, performed by Christopher Meloni. Stabler returned to the L&O universe in 2021 because the lead of spinoff Organized Crime, with the fan-favorite duo reuniting in frequent crossovers over the previous 5 years.
Following Deadline’s report final week that L&O: Organized Crime had been canceled, followers began posting photographs of Benson and Stabler, with Hargitay writing “P4L” under Meloni’s IG video by which he bid farewell to his character.
Could Meloni now return to SVU in some capability?
“I hope so,” Hargitay mentioned. “That is a very heartening thing for both of us, that our relationship was so iconic culturally and that Benson and Stabler still resonates is deeply meaningful to me, and Chris and I, I’m sure you know, are very, very close. He’s a very in-demand actor, so we’ll see if the schedule is lined up.”
Meloni is the lead of Hulu’s upcoming NFL drama collection The Land from This Is Us and Paradise creator Dan Fogelman.
“I love Chris and I love acting with Chris, so I’m always open to working with him and getting Benson and Stabler together,” Hargitay mentioned. “They’re happiest when they’re together.”
For Hargitay, SVU has lengthy been greater than a present as she has been advocating for victims of sexual assault, home violence and youngster abuse by way of her Joyful Heart Foundation.
“That’s why I don’t want to leave, because the show really makes a difference,” she mentioned. “And I hear that every single day.”
